HCT Group
300px|[[153 bus operated by CT Plus outside Liverpool Street Station]] HCT Group, owner of bus operator CT Plus, is a social enterprise providing transport services and community services in London and West Yorkshire. It was founded in 1982 as Hackney Community Transport in the London Borough of Hackney to provide transport services for local voluntary organisations, charities and community groups. HCT Group is registered in England and Wales as a company limited by guarantee (and has therefore no shareholders). The company is also a registered charityOur structure on HCT Group website, retrieved 2009-10-01. CT Plus CT Plus is HCT Group's brand for bus transport services. CT Plus services include'Our CT Plus services' on HCT Group website, retrieved 2009-10-01: *'Red' bus routes in London: **London Buses route 153 **London Buses route 388 **London Buses route 394 **London Buses route W13 *London Service Permit route in east London: **Plus Bus route 812 *Special needs education transport services in Waltham Forest *Social services transport in Kensington and Chelsea *AccessBus in Leeds *Yellow school bus services in West Yorkshire CT Plus won a contract to operate a park and ride bus service in Hull in September 2009.London group wins Hull park and ride deal on thisishullandeastriding.co.uk news website, retrieved 2009-10-01 In the quarter ending June 2009, CT Plus ranked among other small London Buses operators with the following placingsOperator league tables on Transport for London website, retrieved 2009-10-10: *excess waiting time: second best *long gaps: second best *on-time: below average *early running: second worst *mileage operated: second best Community transport services HCT operatesCommunity transport services on HCT Group website, retrieved 2119-10-01: *accessible minibuses for community and voluntary groups *'Capital Call' a door-to-door service provided by Private hire vehicles for users with mobility difficulties *'ScootAbility' mobility scooter home delivery service *'PlusBus' bus service for those who have difficulty accessing mainstream transport *'Door 2 Door' transport service provided by volunteers for Hackney residents *'Integrated Transport Solutions' transport contract management service Social enterprise and transport The British government has promoted the delivery of public services by not for profit organisations (the third sector)AGENDA ITEM NO: 16. SUBJECT: COMMUNITY TRANSPORT on West Yorkshire Metro website, retrieved 2009-10-09. HCT Group's corporate strategy is to generate profits from providing commercial transport services, then to use these profits to provide community transport services for people unable to use mainstream transport. The two modes, public transport and special need transport, are fully integrated under their model: "the investment in responsive community transport services is made possible by running the commercial activity well". HCT only competes for contracts that have high levels of accessibility and quality in the specification. "HCT sees the provision of high-quality public services as a goal in itself...and actively seeks user input into the design and delivery of all its services."Social enterprise action plan: Scaling New Heights, British cabinet paper, retrieved 2009-10-08 West Yorkshire Metro noted that a community transport provider "...spends its surpluses on transport services in the community which are not commissioned from public bodies" but that "Commissioning from the transport sector can however carry risks...organisations can lack capability and professionalism and be over reliant on individuals leading to instability". HCT Group is no more immune to labour relations problems than any other bus operator see for example 40 BUS WORKERS PICKET ASH GROVE on Workers Revolutionary Party news website, and London bus workers at Hackney to strike over dismissal of shop steward on Unite the union news website; both retrieved 2009-10-10. History HCT Group received loans from London Rebuilding Society to finance its entry to the bus industryHCT Group on www.londonrebuilding.com website, retrieved 2009-10-08. Source *group website References External links *www.hctgroup.org HCT Group website